Around 398 cases of diphtheria, 9,000 cases of measles reported in KP, FATA

* More than 70 percent cases reported from Bannu

PESHAWAR: Around 398 cases of Diphtheria disease were registered while more than 9,000 cases of measles were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) this year.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department 398 cases of diphtheria disease were reported from KP and Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) this year.

The report further said that more than 70 per cent cases were reported from Bannu, while the second on the top list was North and South Waziristan where more cases of diphtheria were reported, adding that other districts of the province were also receive cases as well.

An official of the health department on the condition of anonymity said that because of the poor vaccination the diphtheria cases were increased in the province.

He further added that in the country vaccination campaign has started since 1998 but still in KP and FATA like measles, diphtheria and polio disease were still in the province which shows that the performance of district vaccinators is poor.

He informed that diphtheria cases were reported from North and South Waziristan, Bannue, Lakki Marwat, Karak, D.I.Khan, Upper Dir, Peshawar, Momand Agency, Charsadda and Khyber Agency.

He added that main reason of diphtheria break in Bannu and other district were the poor vaccination as well as the lack of awareness among parents regarding routine immunization, adding that main reason of diphtheria break was military operation in the area because most of the children were deprive from routine immunization campaign. He added that Anti -Diphtheria Serum ( ADS) cost for one patients is Rs 30,000 as the government were providing the treatment to all the patients free of cost, adding that KP government has purchase around $ 52,000 dollars from Russia and if needed more that will be also purchased. He informs that drug for diphtheria treatment were preparing only in India, Croatia and Russia, adding that we have already purchased the drug from Russia for the treatment of diphtheria disease.

About the measles cases in the province reported in 2016 he said that the numbers were alarming as around 9,000 suspected measles cases were reported across the province. He informed that most affected district in measles cases were Peshawar although Peshawar is the capital of the province but the district were reported around 2,600 measles cases.

Similarly in district Charsadda around 1,000 cases, D.I. Khan 700 cases, Nowshera 400 cases and Swat has 450 measles cases, adding that other district were also reported measles cases.

He added that around 13,000 lady health workers were in the province while the provincial government has recruited more than 500 vaccinators but still the routine immunization and vaccination were poor and emergency steps should be taken to improve it.

He lamented that the Expanded Program of Immunization were working in the province but they should focus to the routine immunization, adding that the provincial government has already announce health emergency in the province but practical steps should be taken that we save our generation.